Vancouver / Names / S / Smith / Burrard Street

A family name on Burrard Street, Downtown, West End, Fairview and Kitsilano

The Smiths

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at six addresses

The directories print seven people named Smith at six addresses in 1940, all on Burrard Street. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 305 other streets too, all listed on the Smith name's own page.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Smiths lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    842 Burrard Street

    West End, 1940

    • T Smith, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Polly at 834 and H G Isert at 850. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    849 Burrard Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs Ruth Smith 1940

    Next door in 1940: Carter A W Ltd at 845 and D Grenell at 859. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1081 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Jerry Smith, a fireman at the St Paul's Hospital 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Lloyd at 1055. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1100 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • W J J Smith, a painter 1940
    • Gracie Smith 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs L Melville at 1108. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1237 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs Violet Smith, a dispenser at Owl Drug 1940

    Next door in 1940: E Wattum at 1225 and Mrs A M Boone at 1243. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1348 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • John C Smith, a cook 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs D A Le Beau at 1332 and S H Tuplin at 1352. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a cook, a dispenser, a fireman, an on active service and a painter.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (4) and West End (2). Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists T Smith at 842 Burrard Street, on active service. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Ruth Smith at 849 Burrard Street. The 1940 name section lists Jerry Smith at 1081 Burrard Street, a fireman at the St Paul's Hospital.

W J J Smith is listed at 1100 Burrard Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William J J Smith there as the householder, a painter, with Gracie Smith. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Violet Smith at 1237 Burrard Street, a dispenser at Owl Drug. The 1940 name section lists John C Smith at 1348 Burrard Street, a cook.

Today

1081 Burrard still has its building from before 1946, dated 1912 by the City's record and on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1100 Burrard (1956), 1237 Burrard (1999) and 1348 Burrard (1981) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 842 Burrard and 849 Burrard, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Shriners in striped robes marching in a parade on Burrard Street
1942 Shriners in striped robes marching in a parade on Burrard Street. Not at the house at 1100 Burrard: no archive photo of the 1100 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 1184-1239. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 8 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Smiths

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Smith name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.

Another name, or a house

Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under S. Want a name removed? Tell us.